Heat shield panels with overlap joints for a turbine engine combustor

Abstract

A combustor wall is provided for a turbine engine. The combustor wall includes a combustor shell and a combustor heat shield that is attached to the shell. The heat shield includes a first panel and a second panel that sealingly engages the first panel in an overlap joint. A cooling cavity extends between the shell and the heat shield and fluidly couples a plurality of apertures in the shell with a plurality of apertures in the heat shield.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A combustor for a turbine engine, the combustor comprising:
 a combustor wall comprising a first panel and a second panel; 
 a first end portion of the first panel radially contacting and overlapping a second end portion of the second panel at an overlap joint to seal a gap between the first panel and the second panel; 
 a first thickness of the first end portion radially tapering as the first end portion extends in a first direction; and 
 a second thickness of the second end portion radially tapering as the second end portion extends in a second direction that is substantially opposite the first direction; 
 wherein the overlap joint comprises a scarf joint. 
 
     
     
       2. The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein
 the combustor wall further comprises a shell, a heat shield and a cooling cavity extending within the combustor wall from the shell to the heat shield; 
 the heat shield includes the first panel and the second panel; and 
 the cooling cavity is formed by both the first panel and the second panel. 
 
     
     
       3. The combustor of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling cavity fluidly couples a plurality of apertures in the shell with a plurality of apertures in the heat shield. 
     
     
       4. The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first thickness of the first end portion radially tapers to a first point as the first end portion extends in the first direction to a first end of the first panel; and 
 the second thickness of the second end portion radially tapers to a second point as the second end portion extends in the second direction to a second end of the second panel. 
 
     
     
       5. The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the second panel is mechanically biased against the first panel at the overlap joint. 
     
     
       6. The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the combustor wall extends along an axis, and the first panel is axially forward of the second panel. 
     
     
       7. The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the combustor wall extends along an axis, the first panel and the second panel are arcuate shaped, and the first panel is circumferentially next to the second panel. 
     
     
       8. The combustor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a combustor bulkhead; 
 the combustor wall configured to engage the combustor bulkhead at an end of the combustor bulkhead. 
 
     
     
       9. The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first panel adjacent the first end portion is approximately equal to a combined thickness of the first panel and the second panel at the overlap joint. 
     
     
       10. The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first end portion has a first sectional geometry when viewed in a plane; 
 the second end portion has a second sectional geometry when viewed in the plane; and 
 the first sectional geometry is substantially the same as the second sectional geometry, but opposite in orientation, when viewed in the plane.